In recent years, content recording and playback apparatuses which can be connected to networks have become widespread. As examples of content recording and playback apparatuses, there are digital televisions (DTVs) and digital video recorders (DVRs). For example, two content recording and playback apparatuses are connected via a network, and one (hereinafter referred to as a “content transmission apparatus”) of the content recording and playback apparatuses can transmit content to the other content recording and playback apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a “content reception apparatus”).
However, when the content reception apparatus is not operated, the content transmission apparatus cannot transmit content to the content reception apparatus. In such a case, for example, the content transmission apparatus notifies the user of a transmission error, and the user periodically tries re-transmitting the content by the content transmission apparatus. When the content reception apparatus is operated when the user tries re-transmitting the content, the content transmission apparatus can transmit the content to the content reception apparatus.
For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Pub. No. 7-143163 discloses an electronic mail distribution apparatus which automatically perform delayed distribution of e-mails. By applying such a delayed distribution technique, the content can be subjected to automatic delayed distribution (re-transmission). When the content reception apparatus is operated at the timing of the delayed distribution, the content transmission apparatus can transmit the content to the content reception apparatus.
However, the content reception apparatus is not always operated at the timing of delayed distribution. When the content reception apparatus is not operated at the timing of delayed distribution, the content transmission apparatus cannot transmit the content to the content reception apparatus. Specifically, even when the delayed distribution technique is applied, it is difficult to efficiently improve the above transmission error.